


We’re All That’s Left

by Sigynthefaithful



Category: Alternate Universe - Fandom, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: 2018, Curses, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic, Sharing a Bed, Temporary Amnesia, Valentine's gift, eventually, set after Infinity Wars, thorkievents, will become explicit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 05:47:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13675494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sigynthefaithful/pseuds/Sigynthefaithful
Summary: Loki has all his memories taken from him. The Avengers need proof it's not one of his schemes. Thor doesn't. Feels ensue.





	We’re All That’s Left

**Author's Note:**

> I took two lovely prompts from my 2018 Valentine: 1.) good ol’ fashioned awkward bed sharing ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) 2.) absolutely any sort of hurt / comfort, and I hope I didn't disappoint too much. I'm not sure how long this fic will be but I will definitely write another chapter. Suggestions are always welcome, but expect me to bend them to my whims. ;-)

 “Loki! Brother, you are awake!”

That voice... too loud. He blinked away the last remnants of sleep and focused on the large man at his bedside, the man squeezing his fingers and smiling broadly. _‘Brother?’_ He pulled his fingers away abruptly.

“Who are you? Where am I?” he asked, looking around and not recognizing the place.

“What do you mean? It’s me, Thor! We’re at one of Anthony’s houses, one that escaped ruin. What happened to you?”

“I... I don’t know. I can’t remember... I can’t remember anything!” He almost shouted. “ _Who am I_?”

He moved up to sit on the bed and started trembling. A headache started to build behind his temples and he couldn’t help but press his hands there. Tears stung his eyes and his breath turned rapid and shallow.

The large, fair haired man who called himself Thor looked scared. He cupped – Loki’s? – nape carefully, gently as if soothing a startled animal.

“Truly, you remember nothing?” He asked, his only very blue eye widened with concern.

“Nothing!” He choked out, lightheaded and shaken.

Thor moved quickly to sit beside him and hugged him to his ample chest. “Everything will be alright, brother!”

He looked up and said in a commanding voice: “Veronica, I need assistance!”

A pleasant feminine voice answered from nowhere: “I will inform the others.”

                                                                                              *

“Oh, boy! He’s either telling the truth or he is _that_ good!” A short man with very well groomed facial hair said, rolling his eyes.

There was a group of five people in the room besides Loki now, and Loki – for lack of a better choice in names – watched them wide eyed. There was another big blond who frowned and Loki wondered whether he was another brother of Thor, a short man with ruffled hair and a pained expression, a petite woman with red hair and icy eyes and yet another short man squinting at Loki with resentment.

Loki was certain they were not exactly fond of him, especially since Thor had taken a protective stance, ready to step in between them and his brother.

“Why wouldn’t you believe me?!” He asked, bewildered.

“Why, indeed?” The first speaker said, his voice dripping sarcasm.

“We can make this very easy, Stark.” The redhead peeped in. “Call Wanda.”

“I could make this very easy...” The hostile man mumbled.

“Cut it, Clint!” The other big blond intervened tersely while Thor clenched his fists.

“Wanda won’t leave Vision’s bedside.” The short man who kept himself at a safe distance said. “I’m sure you have a polygraph around here somewhere, Tony... or, if that doesn’t satisfy, we could call Strange.”

The man with two names scratched his absurd beard. “That was the best idea you had today, Brucey! Although I can’t stand the man’s ego, I think Rock of Ages would make quick work of the machine. Gandalf versus Saruman it is!”

Thor scowled. “I know Loki better than anyone! This is not one of his schemes! But I can see how a sorcerer may discover what foul magic is at work here.”

 _‘Magic?’_ Loki looked around to see if they were serious about this. They seemed to be.

The woman sat on the frame of the narrow bed and looked him intently in the eyes.

“Do you remember none of us? Not even Thor?” She asked.

Loki shook his head. “I remember nothing at all before waking up in this room.”

“Dreams?” She kept asking.

“None that I remember.”

“You obviously remember how to speak.” The man Clint grumbled, hands crossed over his chest.

“That I do, and I know the names of things. I recognize them even if I don’t remember seeing them before.” Loki provided, trying to be obliging.

They left him with Thor and with the promise of food to be brought to them shortly.

                                                                                                              *

Thor was very kind to him. He took Loki to his chambers and, after the food arrived, he urged Loki to try this morsel or that of dishes Loki didn’t recognize but could identify the main ingredients of. It was strange because Loki couldn’t remember the names of the things he saw. He imparted that to Thor.

“You have probably never had such the last time you were here.” Thor said and started to explain what he called Mexican food.

Loki found that he was ravenous and the spicy food appealed to him. He asked Thor about their home, their family. Thor looked unsettled.

“We lost our home. We are the last remaining of our family. We were on our way here to make a new home for us and our people when...” He stopped and didn’t look Loki in the eyes.

“Our people?” Loki urged.

“Our father was their ruler.” Thor said reluctantly and no amount of coaxing convinced him to continue.

“You have to remember on your own, Loki. If I tell you the whole story, how will you tell apart memories from tales?”

Thor might have been right but Loki couldn’t help but feeling disappointed.

They finished their meal in silence.

Loki needed to relieve himself and asked where the amenities were. Thor showed him a door. When Loki entered the small chamber he was a little bit puzzled. He could easily identify the use of the diverse objects and devices but they all seemed... wrong, like they should have looked different somehow. He made use of the chair-like basin and then approached the sink to wash his hands. There was a large mirror on the wall and he stopped in shock. A complete stranger was looking back at him and, what was worse: the stranger looked nothing like Thor.

Loki touched his face. He tried hard to find common traits, but except for the height, the long neck and fingers, he found nothing alike to Thor’s golden glory. Thor lied to him. He must have.

Loki made haste washing his hands and returned to the room.

“You lied to me!” He accused.

“What do you speak of?” Thor asked, looking suitably confused.

“How can we be brothers?! We look nothing alike!” Loki shouted.

Thor looked sheepish. “You were adopted.”

“Oh! I see.” Loki’s anger deflated.

“But that makes us no less than blood brothers! We didn’t even know of your true parentage until recently!” Thor affirmed.

Loki sat on the comfortable sofa and tried to analyse what he felt; alone, frightened, lost and not at all brotherly. He felt his face getting warmer. If anything, he felt attracted to Thor. The man was gorgeous! Even with the missing eye, he was astonishingly fetching. Loki didn’t think his thoughts were appropriate.

 The awkward silence grew between them. Loki began to worry at his fingers and Thor’s gaze followed the motion. He smiled fondly.

“You picked that up from mother, you know?”

When Loki gave him a questioning look, Thor added: “She used to fiddle with her fingers when she was worried.”

“Where is she?” Loki asked.

Thor’s smile faltered. His remaining eye shone suspiciously close to tears. “She is no longer with us. I told you: we are all that’s left of our family.”

“I’m sorry!” Loki said, suddenly very sad.

Veronica interrupted them. “Doctor Strange has arrived. You are expected in the living room.”

                                                                                                              *

“Thor, Loki!” The newly arrived man nodded in greeting.

“Doctor!” Thor said and shook the proffered hand.

“Hello!” Loki said, but was not offered a hand to shake. He felt an intense dislike towards Strange. His flamboyant attire didn’t help either.

“I see you have brought him back here... once again.” Strange said disapprovingly.

Thor frowned. “We have no other home for the time being. We were granted shelter after the war with the Mad Titan and nobody rescinded that decision, as far as I know.”

“By ‘we’, you mean the remaining Asgardians,” Strange retorted.

Thor began to feel really angry. He raised his voice: “Loki is as much of Asgard as I am!”

Strange held his palms up in a pacifying gesture; he had no wish to provoke a storm inside. “Alright! Alright! So, what seems to be the problem? Stark said something about _diagnosing_ Loki?”

“He doesn’t remember anything, not even himself. I suspect some kind of a curse.” Thor explained, regaining his calm.

“The rest of us suspect Destructo is just playing one of his little mind games.” Tony intervened.

“Speak for yourself, Stark. I believe he’s genuine.” Natasha said curtly.

Clint shot her an unbelieving look. But he wouldn’t make the gross mistake to openly question her skill set. He knew better than that.

Loki was seething internally. They spoke of him like he wasn’t even there.

“I need a strand of his hair,” Strange said looking at Thor.

“I’m right here, you know? And I can hear you clearly!” Loki snapped. Then he pulled a couple of hairs out with a grimace. He held them out expectantly, watching Strange intently.

“Fine! Ok!” Strange said and took the hairs hesitantly.

Loki huffed and rolled his eyes.

“I must have been quite the scary character back in the days.” He said looking around.

“You have no idea...” muttered the man called Clint.

Strange was doing quick motions with his hands, an orange light appearing between them. The light transformed into two whirling discs with arcane writings and signs. Everyone was watching in fascination. Strange threw he discs towards Loki, startling him. One of the discs slid beneath his feet, the other hovering just above his head. Loki looked down and up apprehensively. He didn’t feel anything, but soon he was encased in a cylindrical orange glow, emanating from the discs. He could see images swirling in the light surrounding him.

“Hmmm! Interesting!” Strange mumbled. He started circling Loki, moving the images around. “I can confirm your suspicions, Thor. There is powerful magic at play, nothing like I’ve seen before.”

“Can you undo it?” Thor asked worriedly.

“I’ll have to study it more,” Strange answered pensively. “I’ll come back tomorrow with some implements.” Then the orange light disappeared, he opened a portal and went through shouting a very brief “good bye” leaving everybody a bit dazzled.

“Rude!” said Stark. “Who wants pizza?”

*          

Loki was a little put off by the chaotic dish presented to him. He looked wide-eyed at the miscellaneous toppings and cringed when the strings of molten cheese snapped and hung over the edges of the slices. He saw that everybody, including Thor ate ravenously, so he gave it a tentative try. It was surprisingly good. 

 The wine their host offered was not bad either, even if Thor commented it was too mild.

Everyone seemed much more at ease around him, now that Dr. Strange confirmed his condition. They were in good spirits, they joked and laughed and, even if Loki didn’t understand half of what they talked about, he was happy to see Thor smiling. His booming laughter sent waves of warmth through Loki.

The movie they watched after dinner was fascinating for Loki. He had the distinct impression he never saw something quite like that. He knew what theatre was, even if he didn’t remember any play, but he somehow knew it was meant to be acted on a stage, the actors present with the public in attendance. This big screen was so practical!

Soon after, Thor’s friends started to retire.

“You guys mind sharing a bedroom? I think Loki having company would be the best giving the circumstances,” Stark said, stifling a yawn.

“We used to share sleeping accommodations often,” Thor said. “It shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Good night, then, and don’t let the bed bugs bite!”

“Bed bugs?!” Loki looked horrified.

“It’s just an expression, sheesh! I pay an army of cleaners; I expect perfection!” Stark rolled his eyes. “Sleep well and don’t set anything on fire this time, ok?”

“Rest assured we shall not repay your hospitality thus,” Thor smiled. 

                                                                                                              *

“Will you stay here while I sleep?” Loki asked timidly after they returned to Thor’s rooms.

“You don’t have to worry, Loki. You are safe here.” Thor smiled reassuringly.

“I don’t trust them. I only trust you, Thor.” Loki pleaded.

Thor felt something akin to heartbreak. “Very well, then. I’ll sit here until you fall asleep, then I shall go sleep on the couch,” he said and sat on the armchair closest to the bed.

“No! I... I don’t want to be alone!” Loki said with big, rounded eyes. Then he looked away, ashamed of his outburst.

Thor hadn’t seen Loki so openly vulnerable in quite some time. Memories flashed unbidden through his mind. As a child, Loki used to display his feelings easily and earned several humiliating nicknames like cry-baby, so, as he grew, he learned to school his expressions to flat, unreadable masks. But Thor could never forget his face when they fought in the Observatory, when he let go of Gungnir on the Bifrost, when they fought on top of Stark’s tower, when he visited Loki in his cell after their mother had been killed and, last but not least, when he held Loki in his arms on Svartalheim.

“I will sleep here, then.” He said and smiled again, a short lived, sad little smile.

Loki fidgeted with the corner of the blanket. He couldn’t look directly at Thor. “The bed is large enough. You don’t have to torment your back sleeping in the chair.”

“We used to share beds when needed, but you always complained I sprawled too much,” Thor smiled at him fondly.

“I don’t believe I’ll be complaining this time,” Loki smiled back.

They took showers in turns and Thor gave him comfortable sleep wear. The pants were fine, but the T-shirt was a little too large on Loki’s slighter frame. Thor thought he looked adorable with his hair all curls from the shower and the T-shirt that kept falling over his shoulder. He patted the mattress in invitation.

Loki didn’t hesitate and took the offered place. He curled on his side, facing Thor.

“Tell me a story of us as children, please!” He said and Thor marvelled at how young his brother looked, all the lines on his face smoothed out in the absence of whatever worries plagued him in the past.

He decided one story wouldn’t hurt, but the choice was hard. He settled for one time in their childhood when they tried to steal golden apples from Idunn’s orchard. The story made Loki _giggle_ and Thor felt his chest too small for the swell of his heart. He could almost believe he had his little brother back.

“So, how does this make you feel?” He asked.

“Amused,” Loki answered. “We must have been quite the handful as children.”

His eyes crinkled and he made those lovely dimples in his cheeks. Thor could not have enough.

“But you don’t remember,” he said with a sigh.

“No, I don’t. And... I’m not sure I wish to remember.” Loki said pensively.

“What?! Why wouldn’t you?”

“Was I a horrible person?” he asked nervously instead of answering.

“Loki...” Thor shook his head. “You were... you. We all respond differently to challenges and sometimes we don’t make the best decisions. Sometimes we hurt people, even those we love. Then we work towards making amends.”

“Did I? Make amends, I mean.” Loki asked and frowned.

“I believe you tried hard. But it’s difficult to win back trust.”

Loki sighed and rolled on his back.

“It’s odd. I don’t feel much. Like I’m a newborn and everything is novel. No past, be it good or bad, no guilt... some anger perhaps and annoyance at your friends. I don’t even know who I am, how I am supposed to be.” His voice was becoming sad. “I don’t remember being a son, a brother...”

Thor laid a reassuring hand on his arm. “It will all come back soon. Dr. Strange is skilled. He also used to be a brain healer. I’m sure he’ll find a way to bring your memories back.”

“What if I don’t like my past self? Your friends seem to like me better now. Do you like me better now?”

“I like it when you’re honest, Loki. But I also want my brother back. I miss you as you were.” Thor said and feared he couldn’t express precisely what he meant.

Loki sighed again. “I can’t miss what I don’t recall. But I’m sure I would miss you, now that I have met you.” He said in a small voice.

Thor put an arm around Loki’s chest and shoulders, gathering him closer. He kissed Loki’s temple and kept him close. “All will be well, brother. I know it, deep in my heart!”

Loki turned to face him again and pressed his face to Thor’s generous chest. A small sob made his shoulders quiver. Deep in his own heart, he held profound doubts.   


End file.
